A TAXI driver has denied murdering his wife and children `one by one' before trying to get rid of the evidence.

Rahan Arshad was accused at Manchester Crown Court of first battering to death his wife Uzma before killing his children.

Mr Arshad says he killed his wife, although he insists he has no memory of it, after she killed the children.

It is claimed Mr Arshad murdered Uzma and children Adam, 11, Abbas, eight, and six-year-old Henna with a rounders bat last July after he learned his wife was having an affair. Mr Arshad denies the charges.

His family's decomposed bodies were found nearly a month later.

The court has heard the couple were reconciled and tried to forge a new life at their home on Turves Road in Cheadle Hulme.

Mr Arshad admitted lying about a holiday to Dubai for the family - in fact he had booked himself a ticket to Thailand - and that the couple had a row when he told Uzma. He said he `drove around' to get away from his wife and when he returned, says he saw the bodies of the children.

After confronting Uzmahe said he `blanked out' and his next memory was being naked in the bath with the bloodied rounders bat. In court yesterday, Paul Reid QC, prosecuting, suggested to Mr Arshad that Uzma was the first to die.

"It's not true," said Mr Arshad.

Mr Reid said: "After you killed Uzma I suggest you changed out of your clothes and training shoes you were wearing and you put on shorts and sandals."

"That's not true," said Mr Arshad.

Mr Reid said: "And then you killed the children one at a time."

"That's not true," replied Mr Arshad.

Mr Reid accused Mr Arshad of then `systematically' clearing the scene of any evidence of his crimes.

He said: "There's only one murderer this jury need be concerned about and that's you. You murdered your wife and murdered your children."